


Santa's List

by CrazyKitCat, Zabethou



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, Coffee Shop Owner Hermione, F/M, Facebook: Fremione Fanatics, Fluff, Fremione Fanatics' Yule Fest 2020, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Santa's Elves, Scheming, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27790270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyKitCat/pseuds/CrazyKitCat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zabethou/pseuds/Zabethou
Summary: I crossed Fremione with a Hallmark movie: Fred hates Christmas and Hermione loves it. When forced to plan a Christmas party together, Hermione makes it her personal mission to bring holiday cheer in Fred’s life.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley
Comments: 20
Kudos: 46
Collections: Fremione Fanatics 2020 Yule fest





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Some sections were cowritten with my beta, Zabethou, so we had raquians double-check our work!! Thanks a million! Art by ThePotterWatcher

Hermione was baking cookies in her kitchen when the clock struck seven… in the morning.

She wasn’t baking at home, she was baking for her shop. Hermione owned ‘Teas and Reads’, the little café on Horizon Alley that boasted a small selection of baked goods and hand-picked novels for sale as well as a large collection of teas and coffees.

After the War, she had gone back to school to finish her education and gain her NEWT scores. After that, she’d followed her life plan and dated Ron before joining the Ministry to take the wizarding world by storm. Her life had been going exactly as it should be.

In one word, she was miserable.

The happiest day of her life was when Ron approached her and told her he wanted to break up. That was the one and only time since the Battle of Hogwarts where she had kissed him wholeheartedly and enthusiastically in love and gratitude.

At first their friends were worried that the break up would bring even more stress into their lives and ruin their friendship forever. On the contrary, Ron had been the best support Hermione had when she announced that she wanted to leave the Ministry of Magic. She had been working for two years pushing papers and writing countless reports, only to be dismissed by her superiors. Whatever efforts she put in her work, no one was taking her seriously and she felt that she was getting more exhausted each week. It had taken the concentrated efforts of Harry, Ron and Ginny to make her realize that she had fought for the freedom of the wizarding world as a teenager, and now it was that world’s turn to save itself. She could retire from the Ministry to pursue other interests and that no one would think less of her for it. Ron had been there to support her every step of the way.

In turn, when Ron decided he wanted to date Susan Bones, Hermione was the one who helped him write the letter to ask her out since he was too afraid to do it in person. Susan said later that she knew Hermione had helped Ron as soon as she got the letter, but thought that it was sweet that he had asked for help because it meant she was important to him.

On paper, their friendship shouldn’t work but they both were happy with their situation. Their romance was quickly forgotten as if it never happened. Their friendship grew even stronger after their separation.

Startled by a buzzing sound, Hermione stopped daydreaming and focused. Following the beckoning of her alarm she removed the sheet of cookies from the oven and magically cooled them.

Pulling her tray of different icings closer to her she quickly decorated the snowflakes, Christmas trees, and gingerbread men cookies for the café.

When she had left the Ministry Hermione had decided to open her own café in the Diagon alley shopping district. She hadn’t been able to buy any of the shops on the main street as no one was interested in selling such high value real estate, but she had been able to get the little nook store backed up onto Weasley‘s Wizard Wheezes.

She had quickly devoted all of her time to renovate the space into her ideal café. The little coffee shop contained an array of pastries and baked goods from a local muggle bakery, as well as one of the best selections of teas and coffees that London had to offer if she did say so herself. She had arranged the café to be as relaxed and casual as possible.

Customers entered the café and could choose from a variety of pastries and other baked goods on display in the center of the space. They would order their drinks and have the choice to sit at one of the tables in the front of the café near the windows or in the lounge area in the back beside the kitchen, away from the foot traffic. Hermione had lined several walls with bookshelves, with the exception of the space behind the counter, so they could browse the selection available and sit down with a book as they enjoyed their drink. If they enjoyed their read, all of the books on display were available for purchase.

It was her own little slice of heaven and she liked nothing more than to settle in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and a book after the café closed for the day. She always stayed late because she lived in the flat above the shop. She could wait for any potential deliveries while relaxing in her safe haven. Those were the times when she was the most thankful for her friends’ intervention and her change of career. 

After almost three years, Hermione felt as if she had finally become comfortable in her role as shop owner and that everything was running smoothly. She still had an extensive kitchen and could bake if the mood struck her, but she usually only did so on special occasions because she mostly sourced her pastries locally.

Today was one of these special occasions. It was the day after Halloween, which meant she was finally able to start making her specialty: Christmas cookies.

Growing up Hermione’s favorite holiday had always been Christmas. She loved the season of cheer and going around with her family to sing Christmas carols. She loved the holiday decor and the feeling of camaraderie in the air. She loved all of the holiday festivities as well as the spirit of giving — which was incidentally why she was making Christmas cookies!

This was only her third holiday season owning her café but her favorite part of the season was something she discovered at the very end of last year — The Diagon Alley shop workers Christmas day.

Christmas was a stressful time for everyone, especially retail workers so all of the owners of the different shops in Diagon Alley and surrounding streets had started a tradition many years ago where any of the shop owners, employees, and their families could get together for a potluck the day after Christmas. There was a secret Santa gift exchange as well as fun events for the children. Last year, Hermione had hosted a hot cocoa stand.

Today was the day everyone had agreed to get together before shops opened to decide who was going to be on the planning committee.

Hermione had been hesitant to join in the past because she wasn’t used to the Christmas rush yet, being such a new shop owner, but now that she had a feeling of security due to experience she decided that she wanted to take a more active part and help plan the wonderful event.

Finishing icing the cookies she quickly pulled out her wand and blasted them with the freezing charm so that the icing wouldn’t run.

She put the cookies on her serving tray and arranged them by flavor. She levitated the tray and made it follow behind her as she grabbed her purse. Glancing at the clock it was 7:45, which meant she had plenty of time before she would be late. Hermione decided to take a few minutes to hop in the washroom to touch up her makeup before she headed out to the meeting. She wanted to be sure she made a good impression since a little birdie in the form of her shop manager, Katie Bell, had told her that Michael Blotts was going to be at the meeting in place of his grandfather.

Hermione was loath to admit it but she had a slight crush on the man. He was kind and compassionate and always treated her fairly as if she were his equal despite him being five years older than her. They got along and both liked to discuss subjects that some of her friends usually had no idea what she was talking about when she approached them. Not to mention he was completely handsome with dark hair and a tall, lean frame.

Not that she believed it, but her mother had always told her that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. She had fervently tamped down her shame when she whipped out her grandmother's famous sugar cookie recipe at five in the morning.

She only paused to consider that maybe sugar cookies weren’t the best thing to eat first thing in the morning but decided that if she brought a pot of coffee she would be able to argue that she was providing sugar and caffeine to get through the day at the meeting.

She levitated her supplies behind her and locked up her shop after leaving a note for Katie. The witch in question had taken over as her front desk manager after Hermione‘s first Christmas as the shop owner and the two witches had surprisingly become fast friends.

Hermione trusted Katie to be able to get the café ready for the day and made her way towards the Leaky Cauldron where Tom always hosted the meetings.

Despite still being ten minutes early, Hermione was surprised to see she wasn’t the first person there.

Fred Weasley was lounging against the bar in his bright, infamous purple suit. He was one of the infamous owners of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Despite him being an older brother to Ron, Fred and her had never gotten along. She viewed some of his pranks as juvenile — albeit brilliant — and as far as she was aware he found her attitude grating at best. Things had not changed if his reaction to her appearance was anything to go off of.

“Hello Fred,” she tried to be cordial and polite as she entered the room. “Where’s Tom… and George?”

“In the back and probably still in bed with Angelina,” Fred shrugged. “We never open before ten so we drew straws last night. I obviously lost.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Want a coffee?” she offered a cup from the pot she’d carried to the pub.

“Please,” his eyes softened in gratitude.

She graciously poured him a cup and offered him the tray of cookies. His scowl was instantaneous.

Before she could ask _what_ his problem was, other shop owners started to filter in and the meeting got started.

* * *

Hermione’s scowl matched Fred’s as they left the meeting. She was thrilled to be heading the planning committee, but she knew her partner was the last person on earth who wanted to participate.

Fred had lost at the luck of the draw — again.

“Look,” he sighed. “I hate to ask, but do you even need my help? Don’t you have Christmas down pat?”

“Yes, I actually do need the help. And if I may ask, _what_ is your problem?” Hermione frowned at the twin in front of her.

“I just… I don’t like Christmas very much,” Fred admitted.

Hermione was stunned. How could _anyone_ not like Christmas?

“Are… How?”

“I just… can we not do this in the middle of the street? As much as I hate it, it’s not like I enjoy advertising it.”

“Let’s go back to my café,” Hermione offered. She and Fred had never gotten along well. George was the more gentle of the two twins in her opinion and she never had to keep an eye on him like a hawk to ensure nothing nefarious was going on. Fred on the other hand always seemed to be plotting something, looking around for pranking opportunities every time he entered a room.

He eyed her skeptically before nodding in agreement and gesturing for her to lead the way. She set off at a brisk pace and waltzed in the front door of the café.

She had to admit she was slightly surprised when Fred actually followed her and then joined her in the back room. They both stood awkwardly before she decided to fix them a pot of tea.

“So why are you so against the holiday season?” she asked.

Fred eyed her curiously before deciding to reveal the easier of his two reasons.

“Because of the crowds,” he said. “After the war I’ve always been nervous in open and crowded spaces. I can easily manage it in small doses, but the continuous flow of people from the busy season tends to put me on edge. George always runs the front of the shop starting in October to help me out. I obviously come out to help him when he needs it but typically prefer to stay in the back making the product. It’s not like I’m damaged or anything. I’m fine in small doses and don’t even think about it. It just wears on me the longer I have to be in those situations and I typically feel exhausted afterwards. A full season of that would be enough to put me in a coma from Christmas to Valentine’s.”

Hermione couldn’t help but snort at the mental image he produced. Thinking about his large frame in pinstriped pajamas, down to the sleeping cap, curled up in a tiny bed was adorably hilarious. “Is that why you hire Lee on during the holidays?” Hermione asked, curiosity getting the better of her despite knowing that she was prying.

“It's one of the reasons,” Fred agreed, “but mostly we really do need the extra hands on deck. Not that it matters, but we’ve offered him the full-time position multiple times. He enjoys his work being a sports commentator too much to commit to us, though.”

“That makes sense to me,” Hermione nodded. And she could understand that since Christmas was her favorite season but it was incredibly busy. At the end of the day nothing made her love the holidays or her café any less. They made her happier than anything.

Fred glanced at the clock and stood up. “I have to get back to the shop and help George set up but what do you say we make plans to start planning this party?”

“I think that sounds like a good idea, how does your evening sound?” Hermione asked as she pulled out her planner to check her schedule.

“I think that should work for me but I’ll check with George and if it doesn’t I’ll send you a note during the day?” Fred offered.

“That sounds perfect. I hope you have a good day,” Hermione said, embarrassed. She had never wished the twins to have a good day at their joke shop. Fred gave her a look that meant he had caught what she had been saying but decided to not pursue it by teasing her. “Feel free to take a carafe for your coworkers,” she offered.

He nodded gratefully and left the office. Hermione waited a few minutes before she left her office to join Katie at the front counter.

“What was up with Fred Weasley in your office?” Katie asked curiously. “I thought you two didn’t get along but if it was just sexual tension I need all the details.”

Hermione’s hip bumped the other witch as she made a latte for a customer.

“We don’t get along,” she argued. “I got assigned the holiday party planning head because Tom can’t do it this year and Fred was drawn from the hat to help me. Neither of us are particularly thrilled.”

“That sucks,” Katie commiserated. “I know the boy hates Christmas and always has so I’m sure it’s not going to be easy to get some Christmas cheer out of him.”

“He told me he didn’t like Christmas because of the crowds,” Hermione asked, frowning.

“I’m sure that’s definitely part of it now,” Katie agreed. “We both know what a shit show the holidays can be on Diagon and he owns one of the most successful shops for holiday gifts. But I know he’s always hated Christmas even when we were in school.”

“Can you tell me why?” Hermione asked. “If there’s anything I can do to help I would love to.”

“It may have something to do with his family’s situation, but I don’t know for certain and that’s pure speculation on my part.”

Hermione was going to ask further questions when their next customer came into the café and they both became distracted by the steady flow of customers after that.

* * *

Fred worked in the laboratory all day. He even worked through lunch and was famished by the time five o'clock rolled around. When he heard a knock on the door, he perked up confused. He hadn’t been expecting anyone.

He blinked when he opened the door to see Hermione Granger with a thermos. She offered it to him and he accepted it.

“I was wondering if we could talk?” she asked.

“Sure, come on in,” he opened the door wider and gestured to her inside. As she slipped past him, he caught the scent of vanilla clinging to her hair and he breathed deeply.

Most days, he didn’t get along with her. She was everything he wasn’t, but strived to be. Studious, courageous, good at her work, dedicated, kind, caring, compassionate, forgiving, and more.

When they were in school, he took great joy in teasing her. They fought like cats and dogs whenever she judged his pranks and products. This had continued into adulthood and he was beginning to realise that he still thought her reactions were adorable. Her eyes would flare with righteous anger and her hair would spark with barely contained magic. He always wanted to see how far he could push her. It was his favorite thing to do these days.

She has always been a firecracker like the ones he made but he wanted to see what would happen if she really blew up. Not at the moment though, he was more puzzled about what she was doing in his workshop.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked as he took a long sip from his coffee.

“I know you’re still working so I’m sorry for interrupting but I had an idea I wanna run past you,“ Hermione told him as she made herself at home on one of the lab stools. “I was wondering how you felt about reenacting different Christmas events to get you in the mood to help me with the party.“

“Want to run that idea by me again so I can understand what you’re talking about?” Fred blinked at her as he tried to understand what she was saying. It was as if she was speaking gibberish.

“You hate Christmas, right?” Hermione asked as she played with her hair. Fred couldn’t help himself as his eyes were drawn to the action. “My idea is to reenact some of my favorite parts of Christmas with you and if that doesn’t get you in the mood to celebrate the holidays within a month, I will plan the entire party by myself and let you off the hook.”

“Why does it matter to you?“ Fred asked as he stared at her incredulously. He couldn’t understand why someone would care so much about making him like the holidays, Christmas especially, when he had such bad memories of it since he was a child.

“I don’t think there’s a good reason why anyone should hate a holiday that’s designed for cheer and caring,” she told him simply as she jumped down from the stool. “You’re always welcome to say no as well and I will do the planning on my own but it would mean a lot to me if you tried.” 

Fred looked at her and tried to come up with a good reason to say no. He went through as many ideas as he could and had several at the tip of his tongue.

“I’d like that as long as you’re willing,” he said instead of any of the witty retorts he had prepared.

“Excellent,“ Hermione beamed as she hurried past him back toward the café . “I will get back to my shop now and start planning and you can come over whenever you’re done with your workday and we can get started!”

Seconds later she was gone and Fred was alone again but not for long as George entered the laboratory instead.

“Was that Hermione Granger I saw?” George asked. “What was she doing in here? It’s not like the pair of you get along.”

“My name was drawn from the hat to help plan the holiday party and she’s heading the committee. Despite my best attempts to tell her I don’t like the holiday she’s insistent on making me help.“

“Are you still on that?” George asked as he took over stirring the cauldron with the potion Fred has been brewing. “I know you hate crowds so I don’t mind watching the shop during the holidays but you really need to get past the accident during the war and stop using that as an excuse. Yes, you were crushed by a wall and don’t like to feel crushed in a crowd, I get it. But we both know your feelings about the holidays are about something really different.”

Fred gave his brother a look and stormed towards the steps leading up to their flat. George sighed as he watched his brother storm off. At the sound of the door slamming Lee appeared in the doorway of the laboratory.

“What happened?” he asked, alarmed.

“One day very soon, Hermione is going to decide that she’s ready to date him and my delightful brother needs to pull his head out of his ass before he misses his opportunity.”

“This again?” Lee ground out. “Don’t they realize they’ve been in love with each other for years? It would be much easier on the rest of us if they just got together.”

“I have a feeling it’ll be Hermione who notices first,” George laughed as he continued to stir the potion. “My clueless brother’s had his eye on her for years so he was definitely first to the feeling but there’s no way he’ll recognize it unless someone tells them what it is.”

“I bet you five galleons Fred will confess to her first,” Lee bet against George.

The earless ginger-haired twin grinned at his friend.

“You’re on!”

* * *

A few hours later, Fred Weasley was knocking on the back door of Hermione‘s café . He had never used that exit before but the back door from the laboratory led into a tiny alley that backed up to her shop. It made no sense to him to walk around the entire street when he could walk five steps instead.

A few minutes later Hermione was opening the door. “Come on in,” she greeted him cheerfully. “I’m so glad you were able to stop by today. I hope it’s not too late for you.”

Fred paused as he processed her words. If anyone should be worried about the timing it would be her since he knew that she had to wake up really early to open up her coffee shop.

If you want we can always reschedule for tomorrow,” he offered. “I know you have a very different work schedule than we do and I’d hate to mess up your circadian rhythm.

Hermione’s eyebrows furrowed at his words. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction, confused about what he had said wrong.

She realised what she was doing and was quick to apologize. “I’m sorry I must seem ridiculous but I truthfully forgot that you were wicked smart behind your prankster abilities. Sometimes I still think of you as that 17-year-old who would experiment on 11-year-olds even though I know better.“

“I’m sorry that you still think so poorly of me,” he said wryly.

Her eyes widened and she started backpedaling. “I’m so sorry I just heard how that came out. I didn’t mean that I still saw you as a reckless teenager I just meant that… I’m so sorry, I don’t even know what I meant. That was out of line for me to say. I should know better than anyone that it’s unfair to judge people based on their teenage years.”

He nodded at her genuine apology and told her it was all right before he moved to take a seat in one of the plush armchairs in her office.

“So how do you want to do this?” he asked.

“Well I formed a list and—”

Fred couldn’t help it as he bent over laughing heartily at her comment. It was just like Hermione Granger to be faced with a problem and make a list. He knew from his younger brother and his weekly dinners at the Burrow that she had a tendency to try to organize every aspect of her life even in adulthood.

At the look on her face Fred was the one to backpedal and apologize. “I don’t mean to laugh and I’m really sorry,” he said as he wiped a stray tear from underneath his eye. “ I just remembered how you used to make lists at school and it hit me with a sense of nostalgia.”

“I’m glad I can amuse you,” she rolled her eyes. “But I really did make a list and I was wondering how amicable you would be to trying it out over the next few weeks or so? I know we have different schedules but I figured if we stocked our responsibilities appropriately we can make it work.”

“What did you have in mind?“ he asked.

“Well starting tonight I thought we could make some cookies as we discussed everything we wanted to do for the holiday event and then we could split up to start planning activities in our free time? Would that work for you?”

“Isn’t that just us doing your prep for tomorrow?” he asked with a grin that underlined his comment as the gentle teasing he intended it to be.

She rolled her eyes and rolled up her sleeves as she started walking around her desk towards the main part of her café. Fred followed out of curiosity if nothing else. He had known her to be a force of nature for years and he wasn’t going to get in her way now. 

“I was thinking that we could hold a cookie decorating stand at the holiday fair,” she told him as she started pulling ingredients out of her kitchen cupboards. “We always have the party the day after Christmas but what if we did it on Christmas Eve? Everyone closes up early anyway and almost no one is still shopping when that day rolls around. We could also have a place where the kids can go meet Father Christmas and ask him last minute items for their Christmas lists.”

“I mean that makes sense but what’s the benefit to the shop owners for closing up early?” Fred countered as he accepted the mixing spoon from Hermione. “I don’t mind it for Weasley‘s Wizard Wheezes but I know of a few other shops who sometimes rely on the extra last minute sales.”

“I considered that,“ she told him as she started measuring out ingredients into a large bowl. “I figured that any shop that wanted to would be allowed to stay open or have a stand at the party. Instead of just being for the shop owners we can open it up to anyone who doesn’t have holiday plans.”

He nodded as he started filtering the dry ingredients through the sieve into the bowl. “How about we make sure the party is long enough so that they can enjoy it?”

Fred didn’t enjoy Christmas but if there was one thing he loved more than anything else it was parties and making people laugh. Hermione had known this about him and was trying to use that knowledge to make him want to participate in the planning more. Her plan hinged on Fred starting to enjoy the process on his own so that when she introduced Christmas activities while they planned he might start to enjoy the holidays again. However the real clincher for her plan needed her to figure out why he hated the holidays to begin with.

_Hello Fred,_

_I hope your day is going well. Here are the extra cookies we made last night, I thought that if you didn’t want them at least you could offer them to your staff today. I was wondering if you were free Friday evening for another Christmas-y activity with me. Please let me know if you’re not available, if not I’ll see you at six pm on Friday._

_Hermione_

Fred looked at the note and then at the tin box. The cookies looked delicious. They were the generic winter themed ones. There were snowflakes, mittens, snowmen and more. He snorted. Of course, Hermione had chosen them on purpose and kept all of the Christmas tree and Menorah themed ones. At least she was trying to be mindful even in her crusade to convert him. 

Looking around the laboratory and seeing he was alone, he broke a piece off and ate it. _Damn, these were amazing._ He couldn’t believe he had helped make them. Hearing steps in the hallway, he quickly hid the box under the workbench and went back to stir his potion. He would let George know later that he needed him to close the shop at the end of the week.

Meanwhile, George retreated from the door with a smile on his face, and a small sliver of hope for his dear brother.

* * *

A week later, Hermione Apparated them to her favorite place.

“Now, where are… wow.” Fred turned around and looked everywhere, eyes wide and jaw dropped. 

Intellectually, he knew that early November temperatures were barely cold enough around London for this to be possible, but they were in an actual winter wonderland. Fir and pine trees heavy with snow surrounded the glade they standing in the middle of. A thick white carpet of snow covered the grounds and the tiny crystals were still falling in little flakes from the night sky as the moon lit the scene. A frozen pond completed the picturesque view and there was a single bench on the far side of the pond. 

“This is incredible,” he said, completely awed. “How did you manage this? Are we still in England?”

“Of course we are, silly,” she blushed at his praise. “This is one of the places Harry and I camped in during the war. My parents brought me here when I was a little girl. I bought the land after the war and I came here to meditate when I made the decision to leave the Ministry. It’s so peaceful here that I’ve made it my sanctuary.”

“I understand what you mean, I feel it too. But how is there snow?”

“That is just a bit of meteorological warding for a few weeks. I have a few activities in mind that needed colder weather. Now stop stalling and come here. We’re going ice skating.”

 _She really was extraordinary_ , Fred thought as she guided him through the motions of transfiguring his shoes and showed him a few basic moves to stay balanced on the ice.

She’d obviously forgotten he’d grown up with a pond in his yard so he could go skating whenever he wanted. It was equally annoyingly and endearing.

Shaking his head, he decided to halt her lecture on the proper methods to balance on the ice. Putting one skate on the ice, then the other, he acted as if he’d lost control and tripped before he ‘magically’ regained balance. He quickly sprinted across the ice towards her and veered left at the last second, circling her instead. She shrieked in fear and surprise before she caught on and burst out laughing.

“You knew how to skate and let me waste five minutes doing a demonstration?” she asked, still giggling. 

“You seemed to like lecturing me, it’s important that you have fun too on these little outings,” he winked.

After that, they just enjoyed skating together. Sometimes Fred would race around, feeling the wind flowing through his red hair. It felt almost as freeing as flying. He hadn’t been on his broom in so long since he’d been tied up with his shop. He resolved to get the family together for a game of Quidditch after the holidays.

Lost in thoughts, he didn’t realize he had slowed down to match Hermione’s pace until she gently gripped his arm. 

“Are you hungry? I brought dinner,” she prompted, showing him the picnic basket sitting beside the pond. He nodded and they skated to the edge.

They sat down with rosy cheeks and glowing eyes, eating their sandwiches and drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows as they talked through their ideas for the Christmas party. They started to discuss what kind of activities or kiosks would be needed and then switched to talk about their work and personal lives.

Finally they got to the subject and neither knew how to bring up: their friendship.

Hermione finally decided that it was her role to bring it up.

“Why aren’t we closer friends?” she asked. “I know I grew up closer with Ron, Ginny, and even Percy but you were between them in age. Why could we never get along?”

“I never really thought about it, “Fred told her honestly. “To be honest I never really noticed you aside from being Ron’s friend. Then we were all older and then you were the bossy little prefect who always tried to get us in trouble for trying to start a business. I know you grew closer with George since, but I don’t know. I never really thought about it.”

“Do you still think of me as that bossy—”

“No!” Fred said, quickly backpedaling. “You’re an amazing witch and a kind friend. I'd be honored to have you consider me a friend as well.”

“I’d like that too,” she nodded.

When it was time to leave, Fred Apparated them home and walked Hermione to her door. He thanked her for the amazing night and she beamed at him. 

They both smiled as they fell asleep that night.


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of weeks later, Fred found himself at a tree farm helping Hermione pick out her Christmas tree.

“What am I doing here?” he grumbled.

“You said we were friends right? Well, friends help friends pick out Christmas trees!” Hermione insisted.

Their friendship had started small. At first, they would wave to each other when she passed the shop on her way to Gringotts to deposit the cafe’s revenues. Then they exchanged letters while planning their part of the Christmas party, asking questions and making lists. A few times, they would open the windows of their flats facing the back alley and they would talk this way for a few minutes before Hermione went to bed. She still had to maintain early hours for the café but would take time to catch up every few days while drinking her evening tea. Once, after a late night, Fred had bursted in her office and asked her for caffeine in order to keep up with the production WWW had scheduled for the day. 

Following that event, Hermione sent little care packages once or twice a week with scones and croissants. Even more welcomed than the pastries were the coffees Fred would discover each day on his working bench, under a stasis charm, when he started to work. At first he had received different flavors and toppings, but Hermione had seemed to zero on his favorite and his order had not changed for the last week. He had no idea how she managed to get through the wards on the shop before they opened, but when she offered to explain, he refused and asked her to let him figure it out. He liked nothing more than a challenge and Hermione Granger was nothing short of the biggest challenge he had in his life.

At first, he was sure she could never change his mind on his views towards the holiday, but faced with her determination and genuine holiday spirit, he realised he might be facing a worthy opponent and was at risk of losing.

Speaking of, he didn’t understand how accepting a “mission” she had asked him about had anything to do with Christmas trees.

“Well, there are trees all around. Pick the closest and let’s go!”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Hermione exclaimed. “You have to  _ feel  _ it. The tree must be perfect. It has to fit the room you’re going to dress it in, and it has to give off the appropriate vibe.”

“But — and hear me out — why are we in a muggle market for the tree?” Fred asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just transfigure a tree?”

“Because magicals are the only ones who just transfigure trees, while Muggles use trees that grew for years, and were connected to the earth. It’s much better that way, don’t you think? Even Hagrid decorates the Great Hall with trees he cut down himself. Don’t you have any fond memories of how those looked and smelled?”

“Sure,” he grumbled, following her. “Because physical labor and chopping down a tree needed for the ecosystem is much better than saving the planet by just transfiguring it.”

“It’s better this way,” Hermione insisted. “One day, I’ll just buy a synthetic tree like the one at my parents’ house, but for now I want to enjoy the smell of fresh fir needles in my flat!”

“Because there aren’t air-refreshing charms for that as well.

Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored his snark as she continued to peruse the lot. She complimented the pros and cons of each tree. She tested the fullness of different options and tested the weight tolerance of the branches. Most importantly, she felt the needles as she went. She wanted to be sure they were supple and full of water rather than brittle and parched. 

After more than an hour of him pointing every possible tree, and Hermione rejecting every last one of them on some sort of arbitrary criteria, even she was starting to lose hope. 

“Every year it used to be so easy, why can’t I get it right this year?”

“You know, these trees are important to you because they grew normally, right?”

“Yes, but what—”

At that exact moment, Hermione saw  _ the one _ . She gasped and made a mad dash for it and reached the tree at the exact moment another couple did.

“I was here first,” Hermione insisted, knowing how these situations went down.

“But I saw it first,” the other woman insisted.

Fred’s eyes widened in alarm as he recognized the start of the tell-tale argument. While the women started arguing about who was more entitled to the tree, he subtly drew his wand and cast a glamor charm at a nearby tree. Instantly, it looked richer, fuller, and envy-worthy.

He made sure Hermione saw him reholster and disillusion his wand before he drew the woman’s attention to himself.

“Hey Hermione. Forget that tree. We’ll be the envy of the block with this one.”

The other woman spun around and narrowed her eyes at Fred before she caught sight of the magically enhanced tree. He could easily tell that he’d caught her as her eyes grew wide with desire.

“Unless, you’d rather have that old one? Then we could give this tree to the nice couple?”

Hermione’s eyes twinkled in amusement as she picked up on the ruse.

“Oh Fred, it’s so lovely. I don’t think we can give that one up… Unless they  _ really  _ wanted it over this one?”

“It  _ is  _ the season of giving, afterall,” Fred’s eyes were lit up in excitement and amusement as the couple practically pounced on his tree, leaving Hermione to keep her perfect fir.

“Thank you,” she smiled at him while he quickly paid the nearby clerk for the tree before anyone else could claim it and add to the torture of being there for pointless hours on end.

“So we’re good?” he asked as he turned back to her. His smile disappeared at the look of mischief in her eyes.

“We still need to find a tree for you,” she corrected him. He groaned in dismay.

A few hours later, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes had a tree in the middle of their shop and Fred was helping Hermione lug her perfect tree up to her flat.

“I thought this was for the café,” he grumbled as she refused to shrink the tree while they heaved it up the narrow staircase.

“That one’s enchanted,” she corrected. “I like to have one tree for my flat and a magical one for downstairs so it doesn’t mess with any allergies. Also no aroma means it doesn’t mess with the coffee experience.”

“You and your bloody coffees,” he grumbled angrily as he got it up the last few steps. “I thought your goal was to make me  _ like  _ Christmas,” he grunted as he maneuvered it into her flat.

He had never been invited to her flat, as all of their interactions had been inside the shop or the adjoined kitchen up until now. Looking around, he realised that the building was the mirror image of his and George’s flat. He already knew that the closest door led to her bedroom, it was where she would sit at the window when they talked over the alley. Next was her bathroom and then the open space containing her lounge, the kitchen and her dining table. The second bedroom was tucked in the back, converted into an office from what she had told him.

She sighed in relief and levitated the tree into its proper position in the corner of the lounge. Fred was kind enough to screw the base in place as she added tree food and water to the stand.

Stepping back, Hermione added charms of her own to prolong the life of what was her favorite Christmas tree yet. 

With a sigh, Hermione looked at her watch. “We should call it soon, I have to work in the morning,” she said, sadly. 

“Yeah, I guess,” started Fred. Despite all of the shopping and physical labor, he didn’t want to leave either. He was starting to understand what she meant about magical vibes, but he wasn’t sure if they came from her or the tree.

“Before you go?” Hermione fidgeted nervously before making a decision. “Can I ask why you hate Christmas so much?”

Fred sighed, despite knowing she’d eventually have asked no matter what.

He made his way towards the sofa and sat down, leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

“Tell you what,” she said, teasingly. “To thank you for your patience and your help this evening, how about I serve us some eggnog and we can drink it by the fire while we talk before I have to go to bed?”

“Sure, why not?” Fred answered, smiling again. She immediately started riffling through her cabinets and refrigerator. Minutes later, they both had a mug of the spiced drink as they enjoyed it by the fire. 

Hermione wanted to ask a million questions, but knew better than to press Fred for information too soon. She took long sips from her creamy drink and let the liquor soothe her as Fred took his time explaining.

“Growing up… We didn’t have a lot, but we did have family,” Fred started. “I never minded the gift part. We all knew that money was tight, but Mum and Dad always kept us warm and fed and that’s what mattered. It’s just…” Fred hesitated as the memories came back. “I know I’m going to sound like a brat, but it never felt special to me. I knew we were poor and it wasn’t about that. Everyone else got really personalized gifts, but George’s and mine were always based on telling us apart. They never were tied to our interests like the others were. In the beginning, it didn’t matter since we were so grateful for anything new. But once we noticed that all of our gifts were identical except for our initials, it took some of the joy out of it. By the time we were at Hogwarts, we were both tired of it. George let it roll off his back, but I guess it stuck with me more.”

“I’m so sorry,” Hermione frowned.

“That’s part of the reason why George and I always make prices really affordable around the holidays. We know what it’s like for all of the other kids to get the new flashy toy and then go home to receive a Christmas sweater. And I always love sweaters, don’t get me wrong… It’s just always the same maroon color with the same letter. Have you noticed only George and I get letters on our sweaters? After so much time, I stopped caring and I didn’t want to strain my parents anymore so I stopped celebrating.”

“So you always hated Christmas because you never got to feel special during the season?” she clarified.

“That pretty much sums it up,” Fred sighed. His defeated look pulled at Hermione’s heartstrings. She suddenly felt a compulsion to do something stupid to chase away the sad memories — like kiss him.

She quickly shook the feeling off and moved to sit next to him instead. Despite knowing the gesture would most likely be unwelcome, she tucked herself into his side and gave him a hug. He immediately stiffened, but eventually relaxed enough to wrap an arm around her. He tucked his face into her curls and she pretended to not notice as he finally released years of hurt into her hair in the form of a few stray tears.

She didn’t know how long they stayed there, but eventually he stood up, thanked her for the tree, and left her flat.

* * *

A week after they had gone tree shopping, Hermione Granger huffed angrily as she tried to figure out what to do about breakfast. You would think she had her options down pat considering she owned a coffee shop, but nothing looked appealing that morning. She resigned herself to the knowledge that she would probably have to eat out to fill her stomach. She didn’t want to spend any more money than she had to though because she had to go Christmas gift shopping today.

Huffing angrily she stomped down the stairs of her flat to the office of her business. Moving into the kitchen, she pulled out several ingredients from her fridge which she knew were about to go bad. Analyzing her options, she realized the best use of ingredients was probably an omelette.

She quickly made breakfast and gobbled up the nutrition so she could get on with her day. She grabbed her purse and stepped out the back door into the alleyway between Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes and her café.

At the exact same moment, Fred Weasley stepped out of his shop.

“Hello Fred! How are you this morning?”

“I’m well, Hermione how are you? Do you have more plans to chop down even more helpless trees?“

“You’re so funny,” she rolled her eyes, grateful things weren’t awkward after their abnormally close evening the previous week. “I still need to decorate the one we got, but for today I only have plans to go Christmas shopping. Are you working?”

“I was planning on it,” he nodded “but I can always talk to George if there’s some new grand adventure you want to drag me on.”

“I’ll only drag you along if you haven’t gone Christmas shopping yet,” she bartered as she adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. “If you’re busy, I don’t wanna pull you away from your shop on a hectic day.“

“I think I can spare a little while, considering it’s a Wednesday,” he laughed as he ushered for her to follow him. “Let’s go talk to George, so we can get going.“

She bit her lip as she followed him into his shop. It wasn’t open yet but she knew the main room would soon be filled with eager Christmas shoppers. There wasn’t a question that Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes was the favorite place to visit when buying Christmas gifts. All of the pranks and toys and even Muggle novelties made the shop a desirable destination.

Fred urged her to look around as he made his way to the back offices. She started looking around at the merchandise while his voice drifted from the back accompanied by his twin brothers slightly deeper timbre. As strange as it was, Hermione had never had an issue telling the twins apart. She had always thought their voices sounded just a half octave different. After they’ve grown up and hit puberty, Hermione didn’t even need to see George’s ear to be able to tell them apart.

She was inspecting some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder when Fred materialized behind her, shocking her. Despite her efforts to prevent the inevitable disaster, the powder slipped from her fingers in her surprise and the room was clouded in darkness.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “I should have been more careful but I have such butter fingers sometimes.”

“It’s quite alright, Hermione. It’s not the end of the world,” Fred’s bemused voice calmed her. “It’s not the first time the powder has accidentally gone off and it definitely won’t be the last.”

Hermione felt a breeze and moments later the room was clear again as the powder was sucked into the tip of Fred’s wand.

“Although,” George laughed. “I have to insist that if you break it, you buy it. Can’t lose business to kids testing everything out in-store.”

“That’s completely alright by me,” Hermione laughed as she pulled out her wallet. “Is there anything else I should be buying while I’m here if I’m planning on Christmas shopping today?”

George’s eyes sparkled and Hermione immediately regretted her question. Even a fool knew better than to ask a business owner if they should be buying his products — especially when he knew her well enough to know she was shopping for many people.

It turned out the price for stealing Fred away for the day was two skiving snackboxes for Harry and Ron, a new pygmy puff for Ginny — who had lost hers the previous year to old age, a black eye punching telescope for Percy (although she planned on buying him a few books as well), and two of their brand new miniature dragons for Charlie’s birthday and Christmas, seeing as they functioned better in groups or pairs.

Hermione was most impressed by the dragons because they were perfect replicas of the dragons used in the selection process for the Triwizard Tournament. The twins had been working on enchantments for them for years and had finally finished the magic to re-create them as toys for the new holiday season.

“Are you ready to go Christmas shopping?” she asked Fred as she handed over the galleons to George. “I was thinking we could stop by Flourish and Blotts first to pick up a few gifts for Percy.”

Fred moaned dramatically but still followed her as she made her way out of his shop to head down the street. He followed her willingly and they spent the afternoon window shopping for each of his family members as well as a few extra people who she needed to buy gifts for. The entire afternoon she made sure that Fred didn’t just pick the first thing he saw and intentionally picked an item that meant something to the person he would be gifting it to.

For his mother he bought her a new bottle of perfume that reminded him of a scent she had worn once upon a time as a sweet gift from Arthur. Instead of the broom maintenance kit he had planned on getting for Ginny he bought his little sister a locket to put a picture of their family in, and a Hollyhead Harpies hat and scarf combo. When they went by Madam Malkin’s, Hermione convinced him to split the cost with her to upgrade Ron’s and Harry’s worn out leather-hide boots.

Fred got so into the spirit, he got an idea when they turned the corner at Gringotts. He turned her around and actually shook her shoulders in his excitement.

Hermione beamed up at him as she saw him regain a bit of the joy for the season he’d lost over time. The reason for the season was to bring people together and it appeared that all Fred needed was just a little spirit of giving.

She offered him her arm so they could Apparate to the market in muggle London. She helped him pick out a nicely aged wine for Percy and they went shopping for a new motorbike for Arthur to tinker with. For his oldest brothers, Fred had pretty much made the little dragons for Charlie and he had pre-ordered a new toolbelt for Bill ages ago since his was worn beyond repair.

Hermione made sure to pick up her own gifts along the way, but took far more joy in watching Fred shop for his family than she cared to admit. When they both had bought everything they needed, he surprised her by bowing and kissing the back of her hand.

“Thank you so much,” he winked up at her through his red fringe as he adopted a posh accent in an old English vernacular. “I typically loathe Christmas shopping, but the Lady of Christmas showed me how to enjoy myself and get something for everyone on the list and I’m eternally in her debt for that.”

Hermione blushed deeply as her teeth sank into her bottom lip to hold back a grin.

“If the valiant crimson knight enjoyed himself so much, perhaps he might enjoy helping the lady get her apartment decorated next week?”

“He’d be delighted,” Fred jokingly told her in the third person.

“Excellent! Does he also have time for lunch at the cafe? I had a few more ideas for the stalls at the Christmas party!”

“Lead the way milady,” he jokingly gestured with a flourish as they walked down the street.

They somehow missed the faces of George and Lee pressed against the shop window as they passed the joke shop.

George grinned at his friend. “I accept payment in the form of galleons or direct bank transfer.”

“Oh sod off,” Lee rolled his eyes. “He hasn’t confessed to her yet. I still have a chance.”

“A slim one at best,” George argued.

“Stop betting over Fred’s and Hermione’s love life and help me out here!” Verity’s voice hollered at the pair of them from where she was bombarded by customers at the check-out counter.

* * *

When Fred got to his laboratory the week after going Christmas shopping with Hermione, he was happily surprised. Beside his now familiar cup of coffee, was a little cookie jar. Opening it, he inhaled the spicy cinnamon aroma of freshly baked gingerbread men. Taking one (to test the batch, he had to make sure they were quality before thinking about sharing them), he munched on the cookie while setting up his bench for the day’s work. Placing the jar in the cabinet behind the bench, he realised there was a note attached to it. 

_ Dear Fred,  _

_ While being busy planning the party and getting ready for this year’s holiday season, I fell completely behind on my decoration schedule. While the café’s tree is mostly done, I still haven’t touched the tree we picked up together. Would you be able to spare an evening to help an overwhelmed Lady in need of rescue? A feast will be served to the brave rescuer in thanks for the life of the Lady of the castle/flat. _

_ Hermione _

_ Ps: Enjoy the cookies, these were made specifically without icing, just for you. Sharing is optional. _

Chuckling, Fred searched around for a spare bit of parchment. Sipping his coffee, he answered her query. 

_ Dear Lady of the Coffee Shop, _

_ Tis a major crime that the Lady of Christmas has not decorated her tower. I will endeavour to launch a rescue mission as soon as the sun sets tonight. Fear not, dear Lady, for I am the bravest knight of Britain, and will fight tinsel and candy canes to reach you and bring your flat to a much more elegant status. _

_ At your service,  _

_ The Noble Sir Frederick of Weasley _

_ Ps: The cookies were delicious, but I’m afraid no one else here will be able to attest to that. They mysteriously disappeared and I seem to be the only one capable of accessing them. _

Knocking on the backdoor of her café later that night, Fred was getting a little bit anxious. He wanted to have a good evening with Hermione, but he didn’t necessarily see how decorating could be fun. However, he still decided to trust her as she had not let him astray since they had become friends. Five minutes later, Hermione had still not answered and he grew worried. Maybe he had the time wrong?

He double checked the letter and realized he was right on time. Feeling like an absolute stalker, he pressed his ear to the door and heard the subtle traces of Christmas music.

Upstairs in the flat, Hermione hummed Christmas carols to herself as she flitted about the kitchen, preparing different dishes. She made sure to test the mulled wine she had simmering on the stove as she made her way to check the snacks she’d popped into the oven.

Fred had promised to come over after work to help her  _ finally  _ decorate her Christmas tree and she wanted to be sure she had a few snacks ready for when he arrived.

She easily could’ve decorated the tree sooner but she wanted to take the opportunity to spend some extra time with Fred and give him another positive memory.

She pulled out different boxes of ornaments and decorations from storage and had them ready to put on the tree. Christmas carols were playing from her television and she was able to enjoy the way the music added something to the ambience of the room. She was so lost in dancing along Jingle Bell Rock when Fred Apparated into her living room.

She did with any other sane witch would do in that situation. She screamed.

“What the hell?“ Hermione yelled as she jumped about a foot in the air.

“I come in peace,” he promised, holding his hands up in surrender. “I promise I was invited.”

“I know, I did invite you,” she quickly apologized before glancing at the clock. “I’m guessing you knocked loudly and I completely missed it?”

“Got it in one,” he chuckled teasingly as he took the mug she offered him. “What is this?” he asked, taking a whiff of the fragrant drink she ladled from the stove.

“Mulled wine, of course,” she answered. “Festive refreshments are a  _ must  _ when fighting tinsel and fairy lights. It gives courage to the weary, and warms the heart of knights.”

Still laughing, he took a sip.

“Whatever happened to traditional hot chocolate?”

“I make that with milk and cocoa powder, but let’s be honest… eggnog is better than hot chocolate  _ any  _ day of the week!”

“Get back foul demon!” Fred gasped dramatically. “Heathen! Blasphemy!”

Hermione tipped her head back and let out a full belly laugh in amusement while she ladled her own drink from the stovetop. The vision of her so carefree and laughing did something funny to Fred’s stomach as it seemed to flip flop for a moment.

As the pair drank their wine they started to unload the boxes and the tree started to take shape. Baubles and ornaments hung from mini branches while pine cones were stuck deep within the needles. She had made a strand of popcorn while waiting for him that quickly adorned the branches between the piles and piles of tinsel he decorated the tree with. He used so much tinsel that she soon found her hair was as equally decorated as the tree.

When “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” came on the radio Fred took great joy in leading her in a Viennese Waltz that didn’t match the tempo of the song at all but was just as fun nonetheless.

She could never remember having more fun decorating her apartment. When he tried to challenge her to a ‘Christmas off’ to see who could come up with the most creative ways to decorate the downstairs café she had no response but to roll up her sleeves.

No one was going to out-Christmas her in her own café.

When they got downstairs they separated. The shop’s tree was already decorated but the walls were bare. Fred started shooting garlands from his wand while she summoned the extra ornaments from upstairs to hang from the extra decor. The fairy lights which they had used on the tree now decorated the downstairs walls and bookshelves as well. Hermione casted a Gemini charm on the box and quadrupled the leftover supplies. Very carefully she enchanted the lights to string themselves across the ceiling creating a web of Christmas lighting.

At the sight of her handiwork Fred immediately yielded and bowed jokingly to her title of “Queen of Christmas.”

“I should’ve known better than to challenge someone as magnificent as your majesty,“ he teased relentlessly as she led him back upstairs.

“I’m so glad you know better now,“ Hermione giggled as she served them more of the wine.

The pair of them pulled out the multiple snacks and pastries she had baked and cooked. They made themselves several plates and dragged the trays to the living room where she switched the TV from Christmas carols to one of her all-time favorite Christmas movies: How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Hermione and Fred didn’t think about it as they crawled up on the couch together to watch the holiday classic. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into his side once the movie started.

Lulled into a sense of comfort from their activities, and their stomachs full with wine, both of them dozed off during the film and only woke up when Jim Carrey lifted the sleigh over his head.

Both of them acted as if they never fell asleep as they subtly scooched away from each other.

When the movie was officially over Fred helped her clean up her flat before he kissed her on the cheek and disappeared into his bedroom in the flat next-door.

Most nights he would make it a point to talk with her through the windows but this evening his room remained dark until Hermione went to bed.

* * *

Hermione enjoyed her Wednesdays the most. It was Katie’s turn to open the café so she could sleep in. She would take her time to wake up properly, shower and get dressed. Then, she would get downstairs and make herself some type of coffee. 

Inspired by the holiday prep she’d been thinking about for the last few weeks, she selected a peppermint latte this morning. 

Sitting at a table with a croissant, her latte and this morning’s edition of the Daily Prophet, she started to drift in her thoughts. 

“Knut for your thoughts?” Katie asked, coming in through the kitchen door. “I’ve been calling your name for two minutes, Hermione.”

“I’m sorry,” Hermione blushed. “It’s Fred.”

“So there is something to talk about? Spill!” Katie gushed, excitedly. “I knew you were not telling me the whole truth the last time we talked about him!”

“What? No! Nothing of the sort!” Hermione exclaimed, blushing furiously at the idea. “He came by last night to have dinner and we decorated my tree.”

“Is that what the kids call it these days? Dressing the tree?” Katie winked. “I would have figured he’d be  _ undressing _ you by this point.”

“Katie, can you be serious for a moment? I need advice,” Hermione admitted. “I kind of think I’m starting to like Fred but I don’t think he feels the same. And it doesn’t matter, since I know I like Michael. I’m confused.”

“You’re blind,” Katie stated plainly. “Look, just… work with what you have, and try to adapt your plans as you discover new elements of this ‘mystery’ you’re trying to solve. Worst case scenario, just sleep with the man and see if  _ that  _ triggers anything,” she quipped playfully while getting an apron and leaving the room.

“ _ Katie _ !”

While working, Hermione tried her best to ignore the ideas that Katie had put in her head. It was ridiculous. Fred and her were cordial, but any type of relationship was bound to be even more awkward than the one she had with Ron. Ron! Even if the breakup had been amicable, she couldn’t in good conscience date one of his brothers. She was pretty sure it was some kind of rule. 

No even if she did have some kind of feelings developing for Fred she knew that she already had a man she had a crush on. It wouldn’t be right for Michael (at least in her head) to simply change targets like that. Besides, she didn’t really like Fred that way, did she?


	3. Chapter 3

The next few weeks were difficult to say the least because Fred and Hermione had to plan the Christmas party while also being swamped in their own work. Fred was running one of the busiest shops on Diagon Alley and Hermione was providing caffeine to all of the holiday shoppers in a never ending wave. What neither said to each other was the fact that they were both struggling with the potential developing feelings.

From Hermione‘s point of view, Fred had always been a fixture in her life ever since she had become a witch. He had been like an annoying older brother to her while she was in school but also someone she knew that she could rely on. When Umbridge had come in her fifth year and his seventh, Hermione had noticed him and George taking it upon themselves to comfort the younger students who had been receiving detentions with the old hag. She had made it a point back then to give him the essence of dittany for his scarred hands because she thought it was amazing that he had taken on the punishment to protect other students. Even when she wasn’t interested in him he was always a fixture she could rely on.

From Fred’s point of view, he was struggling to figure out when the witch who had always run along with whatever mischief Harry and Ron had gotten themselves into had become her own witch. She had always been smart and studious but in a friendly next-door neighbor way. Now she also had a beauty and elegance that only came to adult women. Once when he was passing by her café he saw her interacting with a couple of kids inside and he was suddenly overcome with an image of her raising a brood of little red heads. He had never more quickly beaten an image into submission because he knew that there was no way Hermione would give up her career to settle down and be someone’s housewife. Fred would personally kick the ass of any man who tried to make her.

But at the same time the image came to him regardless and he wasn’t eager to let go of it. Over the past few weeks Hermione had let herself into his heart and he couldn’t deny the fact that he had feelings for the witch anymore.

The pair of them were unable to meet up anymore because their businesses were so busy but the party was still put together through the conversations at their windows in the evening as well as exchanging letters during the day. Orders were placed and the invitations were sent out. Different business owners contacted them stating they wanted to stay open and were offered stalls during the party. Hermione and Fred both felt a sense of accomplishment when everything came together the weekend before the big event. Since Hermione was ahead of her office work, all of the decorations and orders that couldn’t be put up immediately were placed there in her café.

Hermione made it her duty to make sure everything came together so starting on the twentieth she let Katie run the café alone while she managed everything else.

As she surveyed her handiwork on the evening of December 23rd, Hermione nodded to herself. Everything was going to be perfect.

* * *

Everything was falling apart. She hadn’t seen Fred all day and people kept running up to her with requests and order changes. The party was set to start in an hour and her second in command was nowhere to be found. Hermione drew Katie into the line of fire and had her help out in terms of figuring out the final arrangements for the party while Hermione went off to find Fred.

She was on her way towards Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes when she was stopped by none other than Michael Blotts.

“Hey Hermione,“ he said cheerfully as he stepped into her path. “I was wondering if you had a spare minute to chat?”

For a moment Hermione hesitated and glanced behind him at the large head that made up the front of the joke shop before she shook herself. She had wanted Michael to notice her for months and he was finally talking to her with a look in his eyes that she could easily tell he was more interested in her than a discussion on academics. She should be thrilled.

“Of course,” she smiled at him. “Let’s go to my café and we can get something to drink. I’m sure you’ve been busy helping your grandfather set up shop for the party. Did you ever get a chance to read the book I recommended the last time we talked?”

“Of course I did,” Michael said cheerfully as they both started discussing the plot and dynamic of the story.

Hermione was so engaged in the conversation she didn’t even notice when Fred came out of his shop and was quickly detained by his brother and Lee.

Fred had seen Michael intercept Hermione and was filled with a flare of jealousy. He had every intent to leave his shop and go talk to her but before he could make it three steps his George came running up panting in a panic.

“Where have you been?“ he demanded. “We’ve got a real emergency on our hands.”

“What’s going on?” Fred asked, concerned. “What happened?”

“Aberforth has the flu!”

One of the biggest parts of the holiday party that Hermione and Fred had put together was a meet and greet with Santa on a stage.

They had set it up on the steps of Gringotts where little kids could come to meet Santa and ask for any last minute gifts before they went home and were tucked into bed by their parents. When asked who would play Santa, Fred had suggested the crotchety old owner of the Hogshead. He had insisted that if the bad boys or girls asked for gifts Aberforth could easily also pass off as Krampus. Hermione had hesitated for hours before nixing that idea.

Fred had asked Aberforth anyway and when he said yes Hermione had no reason to refuse.

“What do you mean Alberforth has the flu?”

“I mean what I said! He can’t play Santa!”

“Who the heck is going to play Santa then? We can’t just take away the biggest event the day!”

“Funny you should mention that,” George gave his brother a knowing look. “When Lee and I drew straws, your name was drawn to be Santa.”

“Me?“ Fred blinked confused. “How could I be Santa? I’m in my late 20s.“

“That can be easily adjusted with a little bit of magic.” George laughed. “Besides I think it would be hilarious and if you do it I promise I will get Hermione on your lap so you can ask her how she feels.”

“What are you talking about?“ Fred asked, confused. “We’re just friends.“

“Right and I totally didn’t sleep with Angelina Johnson last weekend because we are also just friends.“

“What are you on about?” Fred glared.

“We’re talking about your massive crush on Hermione Granger,“ Lee said honestly as he materialized next to the twins. “George and I have a bet on who’s going to confess first because it’s obvious you two like each other.“

“She likes Michael Blotts,“ Fred argued. “She’s not interested in me that way.”

“I don’t think it’s fair of you to put words in her mouth without actually asking her how she feels,“ Lee told him. “Besides that’s not even the main topic of discussion at this point because Santa goes live in an hour and we have a lot of work to do to make you look like him.“

“Are you sure there’s no one else who could play the part?“ Fred asked one more time. “There’s always Olivander? Slap a fake beard on him and he’ll be good to go.“

“We could ask but I think this is much funnier,“ George said before he and Lee pounced on Fred to drag him back inside Weasley‘s Wizard Wheezes.

* * *

Hermione frowned as Michael kept talking. She was really worried about Fred and as much as she enjoyed talking with Michael for some reason the conversation felt flat today. She never thought that day would come but she almost wished the conversation would wrap up so she could go looking for the lost Weasley.

She knew that she was probably throwing away her chances with the handsome future bookstore owner but she still couldn’t lie to her heart as she stood up to excuse herself 30 minutes after they sat down.

“I’m really sorry about this Michael but I have to find Fred and finish preparing for the party. Maybe we can continue this next week sometime?“

“Hermione I want to be really straight with you,“ Michael said suddenly. “I really like you and I’d like to make our conversations more frequent if you’re willing to go out with me?“

Hermione literally felt herself short circuit at his words. She wanted to hear him say nothing else for weeks and now that he had she didn’t even know how to respond.

“Michael… I’m so flattered that I don’t even know what to say.”

“Let me guess: you’re in love with Fred Weasley and I’ve lost my chance for taking too long?”

Hermione visibly recoiled at the idea because it hadn’t even crossed her mind. Sure she enjoyed spending time with Fred and was worried when he hadn’t shown up to help with prep in the morning but being in love with him? That idea never even crossed her mind. She enjoyed spending time with him, sure, but it wasn’t like she spent every minute of the day thinking about him. They both had their own interests and lives to live. It’s not like they were foolish teenagers looking for their next boyfriend and girlfriend. Despite all of her logic against the idea Hermione couldn’t help but have a few flashbacks to the interactions she had shared with Fred in the last few weeks.

He had made her laugh more than she had ever thought possible and she genuinely looked forward to their conversations whenever they were talking in the evening, either about the party or their personal lives. She hoped that they would continue having these conversations in the future but had never considered the fact that it could be anything more than just friendship.

However at Michael’s words she couldn’t help but feel something clench in her chest at the thought of Fred having those kinds of conversations with another woman. She wanted to talk with him every day and hear his opinions on different subjects. She wanted to work with him on more projects and bring joy to the people in their life by combining their ideas.

Most insanely of all she wanted to talk with him in that manner for years to come and get to know more about him and his interests. She wanted to know why he liked to prank people so much. She wanted to know what made Fred tick differently than George. She wanted to know absolutely everything there was to know about him and spend the next few years doing it.

“Oh my God, I’m in love with Fred.”

“Wait,” Michael clarified. “Did you really not know that?”

Hermione didn’t know when it happened but she could feel her hands covering her mouth to contain her surprise. All she could do at Michael’s query was shake her head in the negative. She had literally never considered the idea until he said it out loud. She was even at the point where she didn’t even know how to process the information. All she knew was that she had to find Fred and tell him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, standing. “I’m so, so sorry but I have to go. If it makes you feel any better I really did like you but Fred is—“

“If Fred is the one, I just want you to be happy,“ Michael smiled at her good-naturedly before ushering her out of her own café. “Now go find that redhead menace and tell him how you feel!”

“I will,” Hermione said as she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you so much.“

Hermione ran through the streets of Diagon Alley desperate to find Fred. She wanted to be sure to tell him how she felt first and was surprised that she had never considered it earlier. They spent so much time talking and interacting these days, it was no wonder she had fallen for him. 

She ran through the streets desperate to find any trace of his iconic auburn hair. Unlike his brothers Hermione had noticed that Fred’s hair had a naturally more brown tint to it. It was literally the only part of him that was understated in comparison to his energetic personality.

After twenty minutes of searching she finally turned to run back to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes where she found George and ran up to him in a panic.

“I can’t find Fred anywhere, do you know where he is?” she asked him as she clutched his arm for balance while taking a deep breath of air.

“Whoa there Hermione! Take a deep breath,” George caught her arm to help her remain balanced as she took a gulp of air to soothe the sting in her lungs. “Where’s the fire?“

She was milliseconds away from blurting out ‘I just realized I’m in love with your brother and I need to tell him’, before she remembered the etiquette was probably to tell Fred first before she went telling his twin. Instead she turned to him and asked, “Do you know where Fred is?”

“We were short on hands at the Santa display so Lee and I sent him there. You should find him there in costume helping out. I would’ve done it but I had to watch the shop.“

“Thank you so much,” Hermione said gratefully as she kissed him quickly on the cheek. “Merry Christmas!“ she said as she ran out of the shop towards the cattywampus building that housed the goblin-run bank.

The Santa exhibit was a sight to behold. They had spared no efforts for the scene and it had been up for the past week. Complete with a countdown clock the front steps of the bank had a shoddy pop-up stand of Santa's workshop.

There were a few elves helping Santa who was reclining in his throne. The oversized stuffed chair had been a donation from Hagrid so that the refurbished throne would have a larger than life feeling.

When she got to the exhibit she tried to look around and find Fred but found no trace of him anywhere. Who she did find was Lee in a hilariously overdramatic elf costume. She smiled as she walked up to him.

“Lee, I’m trying to find Fred! Do you know where he is?“

Lee Jordan was a smart man and he was quickly able to put together that she was looking for Fred to tell him that she had finally pulled her head out of her ass and realized she was in love with him. The way her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled were a dead giveaway. She never really focused on Lee as she kept looking around, desperate to catch a glimpse of Fred. If he were a kinder man, he would’ve just told her that Fred was the one sitting on the throne. Truth be told, he had gained his friendship with Fred and George by  _ not _ being a kinder man and being a prankster instead.

He did not tell her even though he had every confidence he was about to win the bet.

“You know, I think I last saw him behind Santa’s workshop, but before you find him I think you should go visit with Santa?” Lee suggested as he steered her towards the line.

“With all due respect Lee I don’t want to see Santa, I need to talk to Fred.“

“Trust me I think you want to talk to Santa.”

“But I just said that I didn’t—“

Hermione’s protests fell on deaf pointy ears as Lee physically picked her up, put a hat on her head, and put her on the stage in front of the next set of kids.

“Mrs. Claus! Mrs. Claus!” The kids started cheering in excitement.

“Mrs. what?” Hermione was completely confused as her hand went to feel the hat Lee had placed on her head.

It was a fucking bonnet. Looking down at the dress she had chosen for the day she realized how she could easily be passing for a very young Mrs. Claus. However she didn’t know how she felt about little kids identifying that so immediately. Did she look that old already?

“Okay kids! Who here thinks that Mrs. Claus should sit on Santa‘s lap and tell him what  _ she _ wants for Christmas?“ Lee asked the kids enthusiastically as he used his natural Quidditch announcing talents to hype up the crowd.

“Lee!” Hermione hissed angrily in a voice low enough that she knew the children wouldn’t hear. “I am not sitting on Aberforth’s lap!”

“Come on kids! Let's cheer if you want to see Mrs. Claus show Santa some love! We all know the story that they promised to love each other forever so they can always bring your Christmas presents! Wouldn’t you like to see Mrs. Claus give Santa a kiss to show him how happy she is that he works so hard?”

“Yay! We love you Mrs. Claus!” cheered the children.

Hermione honestly weighed the pros and cons of scarring children for life if they watched Mrs. Claus strangle an elf on a stage.

As it was, she glared at Lee who had nothing to return to her except his own bemused grin. She knew that she would be disappointing the children in some sick way if she didn’t interact with Santa so she gathered all the grace she possessed and walked over to the old man. As she grew closer she frowned in confusion. She had seen Aberforth dressed up all week and the old man in front of her looked very different.

“Hello?“ she said to the old man as she approached. In a very quiet tone she asked him more seriously “Where is Aberforth?”

“Ho! Ho! Ho! My helper, Aberforth is very sick right now and I decided to come down from the North Pole to see all these wonderful children myself. Ho! Ho! Ho!“

“I see.” Hermione‘s voice took on a higher pitch as she took in the appearance of the man in front of her. She had no idea who was sitting on the chair but he seemed to be doing an okay job so far thus she decided not to worry about that part. “Do you mind if I…“

Santa looked around and for a brief moment she thought she recognized the twinkle in his eye but it was gone before she could place her finger on it. “Santa would love it if such a lovely Mrs Claus sat on his lap and told him what she wanted for Christmas.“

Hermione blushed as she recognized that the man in Santa costume was probably under a glamour charm to hide his identity. Or at least that’s what she hoped and that a really old man wasn’t getting slightly fresh with her. As it was, the children cheered and she felt she had no choice but to move to carefully perch herself upon his lap.

Before she was fully settled in his lap, his hand found her waist and hugged her more securely into his lap by sitting her on his thigh rather than his knee where she had been angling for. Instead of being able to support her weight by crouching slightly on his knees, she found that she was settled securely with all of her weight on his leg. She knew she wasn’t a young teenager anymore — and that she ran a café bakery — so she couldn’t help it as a blush colored her cheeks.

Santa didn’t mind though as he left his hand on her hip at a respectful place. She narrowed her eyes as she knew some men would choose to cop a feel in this position but he remained respectful throughout the entire process.

And what would you like for Christmas Mrs Claus?” Santa asked as he targeted the question towards the kids.

Hermione stared at him for a moment too long and he turned to look at her with a raised brow, as if waiting for an indication on what kind of act he should put up moving forward. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she recognized the brown eyes of the man she had been looking for ever since she left Michael in the café.

She was 90% certain that Santa Claus was Fred. Based on Lee’s and George’s typical mannerisms she was willing to bet her coffee shop on it.

She also took a moment to remember the way Lee had phrased his joke and decided to take a leap of faith as she laid all of her cards on the metaphorical table in front of the entire community of Diagon Alley.

“Well the head elf mentioned a kiss?” she asked him uncertainly. “Surely Mr Claus wouldn’t mind giving Mrs Claus a kiss, would he?“

Santa’s head whipped around to look at her so fast she was worried about him breaking his neck from whiplash. If nothing else that gave her the confidence that she had the right Santa Claus.

“Santa Claus wouldn’t  _ mind _ giving Mrs Claus a kiss would he? Because Mrs Claus understands if that’s too forward for a public event but—“

She didn’t have a chance to finish her thought as his hand snaked around her neck and pulled her into a searing kiss. As far as first kisses went this was at the top of her list. It started off chaste, but he very quickly grew confident and kissed her with more passion. She went from questioning if she had made the right choice to knowing she had as she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him to her.

The whole world faded away and was left with only the two of them as they both sank into the feeling of newness and completion.

They didn’t stop until one of the elves that wasn’t Lee came over and clapped Santa on the shoulder. Their bubble burst and the two pulled away blushing, completely embarrassed.

“See kids always look for someone who you love just as much as Santa loves Mrs Claus. Although maybe keep the PDA to a minimum when surrounded by kids of your own in the future.”

Again Mrs Claus found herself weighing the merits and demerits of murdering the head elf in front of a group of impressionable young children. As it was, she was pretty sure no judge would convict her poorly.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! I think Santa Claus needs a break for a moment kids!” Fred said as he squeezed her hip lightly. “I will be back in ten minutes but how about you go ask your parents for some hot cocoa to warm up while I’m gone?”

Before Hermione could recover enough to figure out what was going through Fred’s head she found herself in a bridal carry as Santa Claus stood up with her still in his arms. He quickly made his way off stage before he set her down again.

“Fred! Why the hell are you—“

Again her question was cut off as his lips covered her own. She felt like she couldn’t care at all anymore as she kissed him back. Far too soon for her liking, he broke the kiss again.

“How did you know it was me?” Fred asked. “I thought the guys did a pretty good job with the glamours.”

“They did an excellent job,“ Hermione agreed. “I almost didn’t recognize you except they forgot something very crucial.“

“What in the world did they—“

“They forgot your eyes,” Hermione told him as her hand raised to cup his cheek. “Your eyes are so different from everyone else’s. They have so much personality in them alone that I have a feeling I’d recognize you no matter what you were wearing as long as your eyes were still visible.”

Fred felt his jaw drop as he stared at her and wondered how he had ever gotten so lucky to have such a wonderful, powerful, and beautiful witch be interested in him.

“Wait, you noticed my eyes because you like me, not because Michael rejected you or—“

This time it was Hermione’s turn to wrap her arms around his neck and tug him down to kiss her.

“I’ll need to apologize to him later,” she mumbled against his lips. “But I rejected him because I realized I was way more interested in ‘Santa Claus’ than I should be.”

“Santa Claus likes you too in case that wasn’t clear,” he smirked. “How could Sir Santa not love his Queen of Christmas?”

“So Santa likes Christmas again?”

“How could Santa not love Christmas when his Queen loves it more than anything?”

“Well maybe not  _ anything _ ,” she smirked as she pulled her new Santa into another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave your thoughts as reviews!!!!


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